Studio Assignments
Studio Projects for the Elementary Classroom
2B) Understands major concepts, assumptions, debates, principles, processes of inquiry, and theories that are central to the disciplines.
Collections Project
Description: The goal of this project was to begin and document a collection. I began the project at the beginning of the semester by collecting menus from the restaurants I went to, but the collection morphed into a continuous art project. I stopped collecting menus and started to make drawings that represented each of the restaurants I went to. At the end of the semester, I combined all the drawings I made into a single collage piece. The individual drawings were made with black drawing pens and Copic Markers. The collage piece consists of the individual drawings glued down to a black painted canvas.
Rationale: This project was meant to teach how important collecting is for young students. When I am a teacher, I should have my students begin a collection as it emphasizes exploration. Art is about exploring oneself and the world, and in that sense, collecting is a form of art in itself.
Flip Book Project
Description: The goal of this project was to create a short flip book. The flip book I made consists of 25 images drawn with black pen and colored in with markers. In order to capture each drawing on video, I took a picture of each drawing and put the pictures on a timeline. The resulting effect is similar to a stop-motion animation.
Rationale: This project was centered around the benefits of creating flip books as an art project. Flip books involve only a drawing utensil and a pad of paper. The content of flip books are limitless. My flip book focused on a sunflower, but flip books can depict anything from a ball bouncing to a complex narrative. Creating this project reminded me to include making flip books in my future curriculum because of their simplicity in material and their opportunity for creativity.
Artist Research
Judy Chicago
2I) Evaluates teaching resources and materials for appropriateness as related to curricular content and each student’s needs.
Judy Chicago Artist Research.pptx
Description: I chose to research Judy Chicago because of her connection to art education. Through this project, I learned about Judy Chicago’s beginnings, some of her most famous artworks, and her impact on art education for women.
Rationale: Artist research is important for the growth of artistic knowledge. My artist research taught me how Judy Chicago created her work and how she approached the world of art. Assigning artist research based projects to my future students will expand their knowledge of the art world and also inspire them as artists.
Elementary Lesson Plan
Observational Flower Drawings
2K) Engages students in the processes of critical thinking and inquiry and addresses standards of evidence of the disciplines.
3B) Understands how to develop short- and long-range plans, including transition plans, consistent with curriculum goals, student diversity, and learning theory.
7B) Understands that assessment is a means of evaluating how students learn and what they know and are able to do in order to meet the Illinois Learning Standards.
Observational Flower Drawings Elementary Lesson Plan.pdf
Description: This is a 1st grade single-day lesson plan that teaches students about observational drawing. The lesson begins with having the students draw an imaginary flower. Students then learn about what observational drawings are and how to create them. After learning about observational drawings, the students create their own observational drawing of a flower and look at them in contrast to their original imaginary flower drawings.
Rationale: The goal of this lesson is to teach students the fundamental skill of drawing through observation. Observational drawing is one of the building blocks of representational art and is used in every art and design practice. Learning observational drawing at a young age is important because it prepares aspiring artists for advanced level art classes and it provides students with a new way to view the world around them.
Clinical Observations
ATLAS and Art Teacher Collaboration
7A: Understands child development and the psychological principles of learning and how they apply to visual arts education.
1st Grade Distance Learning Choice Board.pdf
Introduction to Color Theory Presentation.pptx
Description: My clinical observation experience was done virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It consisted of watching ATLAS videos of elementary art lessons and collaborating through email with elementary art teachers to create lessons and other content. I collaborated with an elementary art teacher from Thomas Metcalf School in Normal, Illinois and an elementary art teacher from Meadow Ridge School in Oakland Park, Illinois.
"How to Make a Play-Doh Pinch Pot" Lesson.pptx
Color Theory Review Worksheet.pdf
Rationale: My virtual clinical observation experience was beneficial to my development as an art teacher. The ATLAS videos gave me lesson ideas that I had not previously considered. Collaborating with elementary art teachers gave me a taste of what my future career will entail. Learning about how to teach is essential to becoming a teacher, but experiencing education in action invigorated my passion for teaching.
Professionalism, Advocacy, and Leadership (PAL's)
PAL 1
7G) Understands the need for continuing study, self-evaluation, and professional growth.
Description: For my PAL 1, I attended Kellie Romany’s lecture which was part of ISU Wonsook Kim School of Art’s Visiting Artist Lecture Series. Kellie Romany is an abstract painter that deals with issues of race and gender in her art. All of Kellie Romany’s works explore the nature of paint and many of her pieces are inspired by human biology.
Rationale: Listening to Kellie Romany’s lecture on her work was inspiring to me. It was fascinating to learn about all the thought processes and disciplines that she embeds into her art. Kellie Romany’s artworks are not just for the sake of art, but they share messages on issues of both race and gender. Her work also intertwines the disciplines of art and science. As a future art teacher, I will look to her work as a precedent for how I want my students to touch on topics and disciplines they care about in their art.
PAL 2
7N: Advances his or her knowledge of current developments in the field by participating in professional development activities.
Description: For my PAL 2, I assisted in an elementary art class at The Petite Palette in Sandwich, Illinois. The class I assisted in was a month long class that met once a week for one hour. On the day that I came in to assist, the students were finishing an illustration project. The prior class had the students draw a squirrel and come up with a narrative for it. The class that I was part of had the students outline and color in the squirrels. Once the students finished outlining and coloring in their squirrels, they presented their finished squirrels and the narratives they created to the class.
Rationale: This class helped me better understand how to structure my future elementary art classes. From this lesson, I learned that having the students connect a story to their art brings the art to life and motivates the students to be creative. The process of creating the squirrel was not as important to the students as was creating the narrative for the squirrel. I will make sure to have my future students not only create works of art, but also narratives for them.